Tuesday, July 31, 2007

Musetta's fifteen minutes

Musetta, with her editing hat on (metaphorically speaking, though wouldn't that be cute?) has made it into Galleycat today. She's not alone, and it's a toss up whether this book-industry blog is forging some kind of a comment on the popularity of pets as authors' animal companions or simply making a shameless bid to have people like me link to it. But hey, I've got a blog called "Cats & Crime & Rock & Roll," so who am I to talk?

Enjoy!

PS - thought I'd post this here. When I read the rest of the Galleycat blog, I felt that I wanted to respond to Lissa Warren's first point (about the commercial nature of cat books). I won't argue with her that such books make the publishing of poetry and first authors (especially literary authors) possible. But I do know what motivates at least some authors of cat books. Anyway, this is what I wrote her and Ron, one of the Galleycat bloggers. Thoughts? Comments?

Please don't think me disingenuous, but it's not simply the commerce (though my "Feline Mystique" is my best selling book to date). It's the coming-out nature of our admission. We love our pets. If we're rational, literate adults, we're a little embarrassed by this fact. But every time we post a picture of our cats or buy a copy of "Catmas Carols" or spend any time on mycathatesyou.com, it's an admission of that fact. Takes the pressure off.

I honestly believe that writing about my screwed-up mentally ill family ("Mad House") freed me to come clean about my love of cats ("Feline Mystique"). Which then freed me to at least temporarily abandon serious, depressing nonfiction and write the kind of fun mysteries that I truly enjoy reading. I am serious about my writing, just not about myself.

2 comments:

We do love our pets, even the unsual ones. I had a beloved tortoise for over twenty years, and that reptile provided love, companionship and was deeply important in my life. I totally understand. Animals give unconditional love to us always.

And congrats to Musetta on her Galleycat debut! I'd personally love to see her on YouTube!!

Musetta at work

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Praise for Clea's books

"Simon’s best known for her cat mysteries like hardboiled (or should I say tough mouser?) The Ninth Life but she is equally adept evoking the gritty past of the sleazy rock clubs of our youth." – Do Some Damage on World Enough

"I consider Clea Simon to be an absolutely brilliant writer, regardless of what genre she writes in. Writing in a cat’s voice is an art form, and few writers manage to do it well. In this series, Simon takes this art into a new realm. The way she sets scenes from Blackie’s point of view, and the way she describes how he takes in the world around him, reflects not just a thorough understanding of feline behavior, but also a connection to the feline soul that I have rarely seen in other cat books. The best writers paint pictures with their words. In As Dark As My Fur, Clea Simon paints a sweeping emotional cityscape that will stay with you long after you put the book down." – The Conscious Cat

"This intriguing series launch from Simon, best known for her cozy Dulcie Schwartz mysteries (Into the Grey, etc.), introduces Boston journalist Tara Winton, who back in the 1980s covered local punk rock bands … Vibrant descriptions of Boston’s former music scene … readers with a taste for noir are sure to want to see more of the edgy Tara. " –Publishers Weekly on World Enough

"Mystery, music, nightclubs, animals in danger: on a certain level, it’s an unlikely combination, yet, somehow, it works very well. And why? That special blend, I think: passion, heart, understanding and voice, voice, voice. Simon’s is as strong and clear as the passion she brings to the stories she tells." – January Magazineon Probable Claws

"Music journalist Theda Krakow once again proves a feisty and determined sleuth in Simon's lively fourth cat-themed mystery. ... Well-drawn characters, a plot with many strings to unravel and plenty of appealing cats make this another winner for Simon." – Publishers Weekly

"As usual, Theda uses her investigative-journalist skills to save herself and help the cats of Cambridge, all while keeping in touch with the rock-music scene and negotiating an increasingly serious relationship with boyfriend Bill." – Booklist

"Clea Simon does an excellent job creating believable characters in Probable Claws. Theda and the rest of the cast of characters could each be someone the reader already knows in everyday life, or might bump into tomorrow." – Mystery Scene Magazine